


The Party

by space0bongo



Category: Prison Break
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blind Date, F/M, Kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-09-23 08:10:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9647561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/space0bongo/pseuds/space0bongo
Summary: One way Michael and Sara might have met if Lincoln hadn't taken the hit on Terrence Steadman. I might make a series out of this with different possibilities.





	

The invitation arrives in the post in May. It comes in a cream coloured envelope, the silk kind that's expensive, with his name written on the front in pink caligraphy. Michael has no idea who it's from, he doesn't know anyone who'd waste 300 dollar envelopes for what's clearly an invitation card, and so leaves it to gather dust on his coffee table for a week.

Then one Saturday as he returns from the gym, he receives a call from Lincoln. Michael can't really talk to his brother anymore without arguing, but his gut still twists with anticipation everytime he calls. It doesn't seem that long ago when they were close; he desperately wants to be able to return to that time.

"You got the invite?" Lincoln asks in lieu of a greeting and Michael sighs wearily. Of course the invitation was as a result of Lincoln. Expensive invitation cards posted through his letterbox can only mean one thing; Lincoln Burrows is running a con.

"Whatever your screwed up scheme is, I'm not interested." He shoves his key into his lock and practically hurls his bag across the room. It breaks a thousand dollar lamp but Michael can hardly bring himself to care. "What makes you think I'd get involved in one of your schemes anyway? I'm not you. I've actually made something of my life."

"Yeah and look what that got you. Ten years working your ass off and for what? A glass tower? A couple of fancy cars? Big fucking deal, Mike. I wouldn't trade my life for yours for a second."

Michael gulps back the instinctive response he wants to make about how his brother had everything he ever wanted and still managed to screw it up, and punches the wall instead. His knuckles split satisfyingly against the white paint, smearing it with blood. Over the phone Michael hears his brother exhale. "It's not a scheme. I bumped into one of your colleagues at a job. He had an envelope on the table, I recognised your name and address, and so I swiped it. That's all I swear. I'd never involve you in a con, Mike. You know that."

Michael closes his eyes, takes a deep steadying breath.

"What kind of job?" He asks quietly.

"You sure you want to know?"

Michael bangs his head against the wall, disconnects the call, then goes straight to where the invitation still sits untouched on his coffee table. He snatches it up, slips a finger under the flap of the envelope, and opens it to reveal a gold embossed card.

**You are cordially invited, on behalf of Governor Tancredi, to an evening of champagne and canapes to celebrate the 30th birthday of his daughter Sara.**

**Saturday 31st June, 7pm, Rooftop, Peninsula Hotel, Chicago.**

Michael rubs his eyes, not sure why one of his colleagues would hand-deliver his invitation to a birthday party. Governor Tancredi and Michael's boss play golf together. As a 'promising' junior partner, Michael should have received his invitation at work via the mailman like everybody else.

He drops the card back onto his table, slumps his shoulders as the familiar stirrings of a migraine begin over his left temple, and decides to take a shower.

-

Michael arrives to the Peninsula a little before 7, looking impeccable in a new black suit and carrying a small wrapped box for the birthday girl. It was heavily implied by his boss that in his absence it was Michael's responsibility to buy Sara 'an appropriate gift'. So he got her the cheapest diamond bracelet he thinks he can get away with.

After the concierge checks him off the guest list, Michael is lead into the lift and then asked to wait in the bar for further instructions. He isn't the only person who arrives early, but he doesn't know anybody else and doesn't especially feel like networking just yet, so he goes to the bar and buys himself a drink.

"It's definitely you," An amused voice interrupts him just as he lifts the glass to his lips. "You practically have my father's stamp of approval tattooed on your forehead."

Michael chokes at the comment, and still coughing he turns to see a beautiful woman leaning on the bar next to him. She's wearing a bright blue dress that emphasises her slender figure in all the right ways. He lets his eyes roam purposefully over the bare points of her bare shoulders, the musculature just visible on her arms, her legs that go on for fucking days.

"I'm sorry," he rasps, "do I know you?"

"You should considering my father paid your boss for you to be my date tonight." She says airily making Michael frown."I'm Sara Tancredi, hotshot."

"I'm..."

"Michael Scofield." She says bitterly. "Yes, I know." She reaches out for the box in front of him. "I presume this is mine." Without waiting for an answer Sara rips into the wrapping, only hesitating when she reaches the Cartier box inside. "What's this?"

"Diamonds," Michael drawls finally composed enough that everything falls into place. His boss set him up on a date. With Governor Tancredi's daughter. Just the idea that two of the richest businessmen in Chicago would find him suitable boyfriend material makes him smirk. "I hear they're every woman's best friend."

Sara smirks as she opens the box but it fades when she finally pulls out the bracelet. It's a very thin strand of platinum with small blue diamonds encrusted nearly all the way around. She thumbs the jewels, glances up at him, and then reluctantly drops it into his glass.

"I'm not for sale," she says with the kind of fire in her eyes that sets Michael's pulse racing. And as he watches her leave he realises that whatever happens tonight, he has to convince her to give him a chance on a real date. One he actually knows about this time. One he can plan for.

If there's one thing Michael knows how to do well it's make a plan.

  
-


End file.
